MementoImage / Getty Images
Should I mulch my vegetable garden?
What mulch should I use and when should I apply it?
Garden experts almost always recommend adding an annual tool of natural organic mulch to vegetable beds.
MementoImage / Getty Images
But how exactly does mulch work and how do you use it to your advantage?
This helps to keep the soil cooler, conserves moisture, and blocks weed growth, Goossen says.
Mulch composed of a natural organic material (straw, bark, etc.)
woodleywonderworks / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
will feed soil life as it breaks down, Goossen says.
They also enhance soil structure, boost water retention, and increase the activity of beneficial microbes and earthworms.
woodleywonderworks / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Want more gardening tips?
Sheila Brown / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Goossen explains that straw, bark mulch, and hay are particularly common mulches in the Northeast.
Beneficials in the Garden: Earthworms.Galveston County Master Gardeners.
